Fallout is a series of post-apocalyptic role-playing video games from the United States. The games were created by Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky while working at Interplay Entertainment. The series takes place in the first half of the 3rd millennium and follows the descendants of people who survived a nuclear war between the United States and China. This war ended a long series of conflicts over resources that began in the middle of the 21st century. The games have a unique artistic style that mixes old and futuristic elements, inspired by 1950s American culture, which showed both excitement about technology and fear of nuclear destruction. Fallout is considered to follow in the footsteps of Wasteland, a 1988 game made by Interplay Productions.

The first game in the series, Fallout, was made by Black Isle Studios and released in 1997. Its sequel, Fallout 2, came out the next year. Later, the game Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel was developed by Micro Forté and 14 Degrees East. In 2004, Interplay closed Black Isle Studios and continued making Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel, an action game with role-playing features for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, without Black Isle Studios. Fallout 3, the third main game in the series, was released in 2008 by Bethesda Softworks. It was followed by Fallout: New Vegas, made by Obsidian Entertainment and released on October 19, 2010. Fallout 4 came out in 2015, and Fallout 76 was released on November 14, 2018.

Bethesda Softworks owns the rights to the Fallout intellectual property. After buying the rights, Bethesda allowed Interplay to make a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) version of Fallout. The MMORPG reached the beta testing stage under Interplay, but a long legal dispute between Bethesda Softworks and Interplay stopped the game’s development. The game was eventually canceled. In court, Bethesda claimed Interplay had not met the requirements of the licensing agreement. The legal case was resolved in early 2012.

Origins

The Fallout series began with a game called Wasteland, created by Interplay Productions in 1988. At that time, Interplay was not a company that sold games, so they used Electronic Arts to help sell Wasteland. Brian Fargo, the founder of Interplay, wanted to create a story set in a world after a disaster, so they made Wasteland for that purpose. Later, Interplay changed their focus to become a company that sells games, while still making new games. Fargo wanted to use the Wasteland ideas again, but he could not get permission from Electronic Arts to do so.

They still wanted to create a post-apocalyptic story, so they made a new setting and game. They looked at what worked in Wasteland and used those ideas to make a new game. Chris Taylor, a game designer, said they were inspired by the book A Canticle for Leibowitz and the movies Mad Max 2 and The City of Lost Children. This led to the first Fallout games, which came out almost ten years after Wasteland.

Games

Fallout was released in October 1997. It is set in a world after a nuclear war in Southern California, in the year 2161. The main character, called the Vault Dweller, must find a water chip to fix a broken one in their underground home, Vault 13. Later, the Vault Dweller must stop a group of mutants led by a terrifying creature named the Master. Fallout was first planned to use the GURPS role-playing game system. However, a disagreement with the creator of GURPS, Steve Jackson, about the game’s violent content led Black Isle Studios to create a new system called SPECIAL. The game’s style and artwork remind people of the United States during the Cold War era, a time when people feared nuclear war.

Fallout 2 was released in October 1998. It had improvements, such as a better game engine, the ability to set attitudes for non-player character (NPC) party members, and the ability to push people blocking doors. It also included more jokes and parodies, such as references to Monty Python and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The story takes place 80 years after Fallout and follows a descendant of the Vault Dweller, called the Chosen One. The Chosen One must save their village, Arroyo, from hunger and drought. After saving the village, the Chosen One must fight the Enclave, the remains of the pre-war U.S. government and the secret group in charge of the vault project.

Fallout 3 was made by Bethesda Game Studios and released on October 28, 2008. The story begins 30 years after Fallout 2 and 200 years after the nuclear war. The player is a Vault dweller in Vault 101 who escapes after their father leaves the Vault. The player is called the Lone Wanderer and travels to Washington, D.C., to find their father. This game uses 3D graphics, a free-roam world, and real-time combat, unlike earlier games that used 2D isometric graphics and turn-based combat. It was made for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 using the Gamebryo engine. It received high scores on Metacritic (94/100 for PC, 92/100 for PS3, and 93/100 for Xbox 360). It won IGN’s 2008 Overall Game of the Year, Best RPG, and Best Use of Sound awards, as well as E3’s Best of the Show and Best Role-Playing Game.

Fallout 4 was made by Bethesda Game Studios and released on November 10, 2015. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game is set in Boston, Massachusetts, in the New England Commonwealth. It features voiced protagonists, and the Xbox One version allows players to use mods starting in 2016. PlayStation 4 mods were confirmed after talks with Sony. A virtual reality version was released on December 11, 2017, for SteamVR. Fallout 4 takes place in 2287, ten years after Fallout 3. The story begins on October 23, 2077, the day the bombs dropped. The player, called the Sole Survivor, takes shelter in Vault 111 and wakes up 210 years later after being in suspended animation. The Sole Survivor searches for their son, who was taken from the Vault.

In June 2022, Todd Howard said in an interview that Fallout 5 would start development after The Elder Scrolls VI was finished, but no release date was given. In July 2025, Fallout 5 was reported to be "fully greenlit," meaning development began. However, it is unclear which studio is leading the project, as key Bethesda studios were working on Starfield DLC and The Elder Scrolls VI at the time.

Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel is the first Fallout game not to use turn-based combat. It allows players to customize skills, perks, and combat actions for their party. The game focuses on tactical combat rather than role-playing and includes multiplayer mode. Unlike earlier games set in California, this game is set in the Midwestern United States. It was released in 2001 and received generally favorable reviews. In 2020, Emil Pagliarulo said that elements from Fallout Tactics were used in later Bethesda games.

Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel was the first Fallout game for consoles, released in 2004. It follows a character in the Brotherhood of Steel who is given a dangerous mission to find lost members. It is an action role-playing game, different from earlier Fallout games in both style and gameplay. It does not include non-player characters fighting alongside the player and uses heavy metal music, unlike earlier games that used music by The Ink Spots and Louis Armstrong. It was the last Fallout game made by Interplay.

Fallout: New Vegas is a 2010 action role-playing game made by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is set in the Mojave Wasteland in 2281 and follows the story of the Courier, a mysterious character who is left for dead after delivering a package. The game introduces multiple factions fighting for control, including the New California Republic (NCR), Caesar’s Legion, and Mr. House. It has a deep story with many choices that affect the game. It uses the same engine as Fallout 3, with first- and third-person combat, open-world exploration, and a strong dialogue system. A "Hardcore Mode" adds survival elements like managing hunger and sleep. The setting is inspired by real-world Las Vegas, with landmarks like the New Vegas Strip and Hoover Dam. Players can choose to join a faction, create their own path, or manipulate events. The game has a large modding community and was praised for its writing, humor, and role-playing features. Despite early problems with bugs, it became a popular classic.

Gameplay

SPECIAL is a character creation and statistics system used in the Fallout series. "SPECIAL" is an acronym that stands for seven attributes used to define characters: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, and Luck. The SPECIAL system is based on GURPS, a character system originally planned for use in the game.

The SPECIAL system includes these key features:

• Attributes (listed above) describe a character's basic, natural abilities. These abilities usually stay the same throughout the game, but they can be temporarily changed by drugs, or permanently altered by conditions like using Power Armor, certain NPCs, eye damage from a critical hit, or specific items and perks.
• Skills show how likely a character is to succeed at specific tasks, like shooting a gun or picking a lock. Skills are shown as percentages, and these percentages can go above 100%, but this costs more. SPECIAL stats automatically improve skills when they change. Skill Points earned when leveling up can increase skill percentages. At character creation, players choose three "tag skills," which can be improved faster than other skills, starting with one skill point for every 2% skill under 101%.

The SPECIAL system was used in Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. A modified version was used in Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Fallout Shelter.

Modified versions of SPECIAL were also used in Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (earlier called Fallout Fantasy) and the canceled project Black Isle's Torn.

The Pip-Boy (Personal Information Processor-Boy) is a wrist-computer given to players early in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76. It helps manage quests, inventory, and battles, and displays player statistics. The model in Fallout and Fallout 2 is called the Pip-Boy 2000, used first by the Vault Dweller and later by the Chosen One. Fallout Tactics has a modified version called Pip-Boy 2000BE. Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas use the Pip-Boy 3000, with a golden version called the Pimp-Boy 3 Billion given as a reward for completing a quest in a specific way. Fallout 4 uses the Pip-Boy 3000 Mark IV, and Fallout 76 uses the Pip-Boy 2000 Mark VI, another version of the Pip-Boy 2000.

Vault Boy is Vault-Tec's mascot and appears on Vault-Tec products in the game world, including the Pip-Boy. Vault Boy displays character statistics and attributes. Vault Boy was designed by Leonard Boyarsky, inspired partly by the Monopoly board game character Rich Uncle Pennybags.

Power armor is a type of powered exoskeleton in every Fallout game. It protects the wearer from enemy attacks and allows them to carry heavy weapons and objects easily. It is an important part of the Fallout universe, a marketing tool for a faceless protagonist, and a key symbol in the game's story.

The original Fallout power armor design was created by Leonard Boyarsky from a helmet rendering meant to show more detail for the game's cover and cinematics. The helmet and eyepiece design was inspired by the film The City of Lost Children. Leonard Boyarsky revised the power armor design to match his concept art, which focused on an industrial, mechanical look.

Power armor's repeated use in later Fallout games helps connect the series to earlier works. Lead art director Istvan Pely said power armor was the first asset developed for Fallout 3 because it is an iconic series element and helped balance staying true to the original game's style while introducing a fresh look.

In earlier Fallout games, power armor was large and made the wearer appear bigger. In Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, power armor was made the same size as regular clothing due to engine limits, which many fans and critics disliked. A fan-created mod called Titans of The New West 2.0 for Fallout: New Vegas changed the armor's design to match the original look. Evan Lafleuriel noted that Fallout: New Vegas was the only game in the series that did not use power armor for advertising, which he felt did not leave a lasting impression.

In Fallout 4, power armor is more integrated into gameplay. Suits are customizable, interactable objects that players climb into, and require fusion cores to use. During Fallout 4's development, the team redesigned power armor to feel more like a vehicle than a suit, which some players and critics appreciated. Players can also collect power armor sets using the game's base-building features.

According to the game's lore, power armor was developed before the Great War by U.S. defense contractors called West Tek to create a "walking tank" for the military. From 2065 to 2067, failed prototypes led to the invention of a compact fusion cell. This worsened relations with China, which was already struggling with an energy crisis. China invaded Alaska, and power armor was deployed in 2067, proving highly effective in battle. The peak of power armor technology was reached in 2077, with units capable of defeating Chinese forces. Their success on the battlefield ultimately led to…

Series overview

The story takes place in a fictional version of the United States in an alternate history that changes after World War II in 1945. In this world, called the "atompunk golden age," scientists use vacuum tubes and atomic physics for progress, while transistors are not as important. This leads to a strange mix of advanced technology, like robots, nuclear-powered cars, and energy weapons, alongside 1950s-style computers and TVs. The United States splits into 13 regions called commonwealths, and the style and fear of the Cold War from the 1950s continue to influence life into the 21st century.

More than 100 years before the story begins, an energy crisis happened because of a lack of oil. This led to the "Resource Wars" starting in 2052, which included wars between the European Commonwealth and Middle Eastern states (2053–2060), the collapse of the United Nations (July 26, 2052), the U.S. invasion of Mexico (2051), the annexation of Canada by the United States (2072), and a Chinese invasion of Alaska (2066). This invasion started the "Sino-American War" (2066–2077) and led to the spread of a deadly disease called the "New Plague" (2053), which severely damaged the United States. As problems worsened, the U.S. government became more aggressive and strict (2000s–2077), arresting political opponents and Chinese-Americans and sending them to re-education camps where they were mistreated. By 2077, tensions between the U.S. and China reached a breaking point, leading to the "Great War" on October 23, 2077, a global nuclear attack that destroyed much of the world and created the post-apocalyptic setting of the Fallout world.

To prepare for the war, the U.S. government started building fallout shelters called "Vaults" in 2054. These shelters, designed by Vault-Tec Corporation, could support up to 1,000 people each. Although 400,000 Vaults were planned, only 122 were built. Each Vault was meant to be self-sufficient, but the project was not intended to help repopulate the country. Instead, most Vaults were secret experiments to study how people react to different living conditions. Seventeen Vaults worked as intended, while others failed due to poor construction. Many Vaults remained sealed even after radiation levels dropped to safe levels.

The experiments included: a Vault with clones of one person; a Vault where people were frozen; a Vault where residents were given drugs; a Vault where one person was sacrificed yearly; a Vault with one man and puppets; a Vault where people were divided into hostile groups; two Vaults with unequal numbers of men and women; a Vault with a door that never fully closed; a Vault with limited space and weapons; an overcrowded Vault; and Vaults where people were exposed to a virus that caused mutations, creating super mutants. Most experiments failed, leading to the collapse of the Vaults. Many were later taken over by raiders, super mutants, or other creatures.

After the Great War, the United States became a wasteland with few people, ruined cities, and mutated lifeforms. Most food and water are radioactive, and many areas are unsafe. Some places remained unharmed, but they are rare. People trade goods using bottle caps as money, and most communities are small and scattered.

People who survived the war but were exposed to radiation became "ghouls." They live longer but suffer from severe physical decay, losing hair and voice, and having deformed bodies. Ghouls often resent humans and dislike being compared to zombies. Prolonged radiation exposure can cause ghouls to become "feral," attacking anything they see.

Creatures called "Deathclaws" roam the wasteland. Created as weapons before the war, they survived and became top predators. They are famous for their power and are popular in games, inspiring player mods and official features.

Several human groups formed in the wasteland, including:

• The Brotherhood of Steel: Soldiers who rebelled against the government after learning about virus experiments. They later regrouped and started a new community.
• The New California Republic (NCR): Founded by survivors from Vault 15 who built Shady Sands. They later formed a powerful region in the southwest.
• The Enclave: A secret group of wealthy industrialists who sought to control the wasteland.

Other media

In 1998, Interplay Entertainment created a film division called Interplay Films to make movies based on its games. They announced plans to make a Fallout movie, as well as films based on Descent and Redneck Rampage. In 2000, Interplay said a Fallout movie was being made, with writer Brent V. Friedman working on a script and Dark Horse Entertainment helping to produce it. Later, the film division was closed, and no movies were made. However, Friedman’s script was shared online in 2011.

In 2009, Bethesda Softworks said it wanted to make a Fallout movie. After four years of not using the Fallout trademark, Bethesda submitted a "Statement of Use" to the USPTO in January 2012. The next month, instead of making a movie, Bethesda created a special feature called "Making of Fallout 3 DVD," which was accepted as a film on March 27, 2012. This action allowed Bethesda to stop re-registering the trademark. In the DVD commentary for Mutant Chronicles, actor Ron Perlman said he would like to return as the Narrator if a Fallout movie was made. In 2016, Todd Howard said Bethesda had refused offers to make a Fallout movie but did not rule out future possibilities.

A Fallout television series was announced in July 2020 for Amazon Prime Video. Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan wrote, created, and produced the show. In January 2022, Amazon confirmed the series, with Nolan directing the first episode and Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner as showrunners. Filming ended on March 28, 2023. The show follows the game’s timeline, set in the year 2296, and includes characters like an inexperienced vault dweller and a ghoul mercenary. Ella Purnell and Walton Goggins were cast in these roles. The first season, with eight episodes, premiered on April 10, 2024. The series was renewed for a second season, set to begin on December 16, 2025, and for a third season in May 2025.

The Vault Dweller's Official Cookbook includes recipes for foods from the Fallout universe, such as Nuka-Cola and BlamCo Mac N' Cheese. It was written by Victoria Rosenthal and released on October 23, 2018, to match the launch of Fallout 76 and the in-game date of the Great War.

The T-60 Power Armor appeared in Fortnite’s Battle Royale mode as a cosmetic outfit in Chapter 5 Season 3. Other items included a pickaxe related to Assaultron, an emote of a Mister Handy robot, and other Fallout-themed items. Nuka-Cola and the laser rifle also appeared in the game later.

In the summer of 2020, Vault Boy, the mascot of Vault-Tec, became a Mii Gunner costume in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch.

On June 18, 2024, Activision announced a collaboration between Call of Duty and Fallout. A cosmetic bundle was added to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Warzone, featuring "Vault 141" outfits for four characters, Fallout-themed weapon skins, and other items. The bundle was released on June 20, 2024, along with a free event where players could earn Fallout-themed items like a Nuka-Cola Quantum weapon camouflage.

A second collaboration, based on the Fallout TV series, was announced in December 2025 for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The collaboration included playable characters Lucy, The Ghoul, and Maximus, as well as Fallout-themed game modes and maps, such as a multiplayer mode where players respawn as feral ghouls.

Reception and legacy

The Fallout series has received mostly positive feedback from players and critics. According to Metacritic, the highest-rated game is Fallout 3, while Fallout 76 has the lowest score.

Some fans have expressed disappointment with how the series has changed since Bethesda Softworks took over. A group of longtime fans, who are part of a website called No Mutants Allowed, has criticized recent games for moving away from the original stories, gameplay, and settings. They have pointed out small issues, such as food not decaying after 200 years or wooden buildings surviving nuclear explosions. Larger concerns include the game’s writing quality, lack of realism, the shift to a first-person perspective, and the game world not responding well to player choices. In response, James Stephanie Sterling of Destructoid called groups like No Mutants Allowed "selfish" and "arrogant," arguing that new players should have the chance to experience the series. Luke Winkie of Kotaku said the issue is about ownership, noting that original fans felt their favorite games were changed in ways they did not like.

Fallout 4’s new dialogue system received mixed reactions. Some players were unhappy and created custom changes to the game, adding subtitles and letting players see what their character would say before choosing an option, as was possible in earlier games like Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. Patricia Hernandez of Kotaku criticized the game’s writing, calling it "thin" and saying conversations with other characters were not long or complex.

Fallout 76 received the lowest ratings upon release and has faced many controversies. IGN gave it a 5 out of 10, criticizing its poor graphics, weak multiplayer features, and bugs. They said the game failed to capture the series’ strengths and left players with a frustrating experience. PC Gamer gave it a 6 out of 10, praising its setting, large world, and combat, but also pointing out bugs, a confusing interface, and repetitive gameplay. They noted that while the game had enjoyable elements, its flaws made the experience less satisfying over time.

Legal action

Interplay faced bankruptcy and sold the full Fallout franchise to Bethesda. However, Interplay kept the rights to the Fallout MMO through a special agreement in April 2007 and began working on the MMO later that year. On September 8, 2009, Bethesda Softworks sued Interplay Entertainment for copyright infringement, claiming that Interplay did not have the right to sell the Fallout Trilogy online through services like Steam or Good Old Games. Bethesda also argued that Interplay had not met the requirements for "full scale" development of Fallout Online or secured $30 million in funding. Interplay responded by filing a counter lawsuit, stating that it had the right to sell the Fallout Trilogy online based on its contract with Bethesda. Interplay claimed it had met the funding requirements and that the game was in full development by the deadline. Interplay also argued that the contract allowing Bethesda to buy the Fallout franchise should be canceled, which would return the Fallout rights to Interplay. This would allow Bethesda to create Fallout 5 and require Bethesda to pay 12% of royalties from Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas, Fallout 4, and their expansions, plus interest. On December 10, 2009, the court denied Bethesda’s first request to stop development.

Bethesda then replaced its first lawyer and filed a second injunction, claiming that Interplay had only licensed the name "Fallout" but not the game’s content. Interplay countered by showing the contract required the MMO to include the look and feel of Fallout. The contract also stated that if Interplay failed to meet the funding or development requirements, it could still release the MMO by removing all Fallout content. The contract listed Fallout content as locations, monsters, settings, and lore. Interplay argued that Bethesda had approved its plan to use Fallout elements in the MMO and that the contract was not limited to the name alone. The court denied Bethesda’s second injunction on August 4, 2011. Bethesda appealed the decision, but its appeal was rejected. Bethesda later sued Masthead Studios and asked for a restraining order, which was denied before Masthead could respond.

Bethesda filed a motion in limine against Interplay, and the next day, Interplay filed a similar motion against Bethesda. A trial by jury was initially requested by Bethesda on October 26, 2010, but the trial was changed to a court trial because the APA contract required all legal matters to be resolved in court. The trial began on December 12.

In 2012, Bethesda announced in a press conference that Interplay sold it the full rights to Fallout Online for $2 million. Interplay’s rights to sell and merchandise Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel expired on December 31, 2013.